The Series of Humiliating Misunderstanding
by theninth29
Summary: Derek is going crazy. Watching Stiles from afar for a year does that to him. Though he definitely doesn't remember the exact date and month he first saw Stiles, and definitely doesn't keep tabs on it. Nope, not at all.


Derek is going crazy.

The thing is, he is now sitting in a small shop he frequents, a shop providing light foods, beverages like coffees, chocolates, juices, and many others on the same line. The atmosphere is pretty soothing, not too empty, not too crowded either. He loves stopping here to get breakfast for almost two years now. It's named Red Riding Hood.

But that is not what makes him crazy.

It is those bright brown eyes, long fingers, the warm smile, hearty laugh and voice. Oh, he doesn't even know where to start with that voice. It never stops talking, but honestly? Derek doesn't really want it to stop.

Since the first laughter the guy—yes, it's a guy—let out when he enters Derek's world of view, Derek knew he was so screwed. Since then, he has learned so much. The guy's name, Stiles, his father who is a Sheriff, the anthropology major he takes at college, and many, many more.

Though he learned many things, he also misunderstood many things. The first time it occurred was when Stiles brought a dopey-smiled guy with him, looking all comfy and touchy-feely with each other. They laughed together, they shared a secret smile and they hugged. Then he knew the other—Scott—is only Stiles' best friend when Scott brought a girl, Kira, and was pretty intimate with her.

There's also this girl with a dimple when she smiles—Allison. Stiles came into the shop with an arm draped around her shoulder, with her slightly leaning against him. He almost left immediately when he noticed a taller guy with blond curly hair and pale skin entered, scooping Allison in his arms and they kissed. Stiles covered his eyes then, saying something like being 'embarrassing' and 'not for children'.

And then it's the strawberry blond haired girl. Has Derek mentioned how intimate it seemed for them when they sat across from each other? When the girl, Lydia, pouted and Stiles took her hands and she smiled again? When she poked Stiles' nose and triggered the laughter out of Stiles? When she watched him laugh with a fond look on her face? Well he has now. And he was pretty depressed about it for a few days.

That was, until another guy, Aiden, came into view and Lydia's face totally changes, not as fond as she was with Stiles, but filled with so, so much love. Turned out they had a quarrel and Stiles tried to cheer Lydia up.

As if his series of humiliation misunderstanding isn't enough—Laura and Cora would definitely laugh at him for this if they knew. Oh, and Peter. Definitely Peter—entered a very attractive and openly gay guy, Danny. And there's Stiles, precious Stiles who was asking if, he quotes, 'am I attractive to gay guys?' end quote. Of course Danny said Stiles was attractive. Of course.

When Aiden went into the shop, he thought that he had no fucking chance, because he never saw Stiles with another friend other than whom he already saw. He thought, if his friends are all hooked up, why doesn't Stiles? It must be Danny. The one Stiles set his beautiful big brown eyes for, it must be Danny.

Oh, how he was wrong. He couldn't control his widening eyes when Aiden kissed Danny. There were many things running on his head that time. Did he break up with Lydia? Did he only realize he was gay? Then Stiles called a name he had never heard before—Ethan.

As if answering the added questions in his mind, Lydia and a guy with the same face as the one kissing Danny, presumably Aiden, entered Red Riding Hood. And it all clicked. They are twins.

Derek groaned internally all day that day. He was so stupid, is still so stupid.

And so, so screwed.

Now, right a year after that first day Stiles visited the shop—not that he keeps tab of the date or anything, except that he does (who knows he's such a sap)—just when he's starting to be thankful they're all there are to Stiles' group of friends, he feels another presence next to him when he's doing his habit of watching Stiles' every movement. A shudder creeps its' way up to his neck. Only two people in the whole world could do that to him. Laura and Peter.

Not only screwed, he is so fucked.

He contemplates it before he turns his head, which is better, Peter's sarcasm or Laura's outright mockery. For the first time in months, years, he couldn't tell, he chooses Peter. When he does turn around, though, all he sees is Laura's smirk, because. His life.

"So, it's big eyes and adorable smiles that does it for you, huh, baby bro?"

He groans. Why is it, after a year of peace, Laura chooses this day to appear out of nowhere? "Another word, Laura, and I'll cut our ties forever."

"Huh, quite a crowd, aren't they? Five of them, two couples. Your target seems to be alone. Why don't you go there and be his company?"

"Lau—"

"He seems to be looking our way."

"What."

"Let's go."

"What Laura, where?"

"Come on."

And there he is, being dragged by Laura, standing in front of Stiles' table, trying to shrink to the ground. Because Stiles' eyes are more beautiful up close, and his surprised expression is so adorable Derek wants to kiss it away. He ducks his head and hides behind Laura, doesn't mind the fact that he is far bigger than her.

"I notice you guys are having fun here. Can we join you?" she said.

Scott, with his lack of usual enthusiasm, glancing at Stiles, replied "Of course."

"I'm Laura, Laura Hale. This is my younger brother." Laura elbows him.

"Derek." He said.

"Your brother?" Just like that, Scott's cheerfulness comes back. "I'm Scott McCall. This is Kira, Ethan, Danny, and Stiles." He grinned brightly, circling an arm around Stiles' shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. Stiles blushes. He doesn't know what that's about, probably some best friends' thing, but he finds the red of Stiles' face cute, anyway.

Laura takes a seat beside Danny, leaving the only empty chair available beside Stiles for him to take. Of fucking course Laura would do this to him.

They get to know them better—or at least Laura does, because he already knew almost every tiny bit detail of their lives—for the past hour. He couldn't help but notices how quiet Stiles has been since he and Laura came to their table, only speaks when asked something by his sister. But it's not awkward, it's anything but. It's like Stiles tries to absorb the contentment around him. He doesn't know the reason why, but it makes him content all along.

He swears he grows a pair of wings when they share a smile before he and Laura excuse themselves to go home.

It's raining.

Find him a week later in his day off, and it's raining. Though he'd be damned if he skipped his morning routines to go to the Red Riding Hood just because of this rain. Here he is, sitting on his usual table in the corner of the room coffee and sandwich untouched, closing his eyes while listening to the music in his iPod. It's not so loud that he could still hear the world around him.

He opens his eyes to the rush of winds when someone enters the shop abruptly. Stiles, who is almost drenched to the bones if not for his red hoodie, comes in to the shop. His heart starts thudding loudly in his chest when their eyes meet and Stiles starts to make his way to his table. God, what is he, a teenager?

He unplugs his earphone.

"Is it okay for me to sit here?"

He tries to suppress a smile, but fails miserably. "Yes." He waits for Stiles to take his order, and asks, "Where are your friends?"

"It's raining." Stiles answered, as if it explained anything. In a way, it does. "They're lazy bums. I won't miss a breakfast in this place for almost anything."

"Almost?" he couldn't help but ask.

Stiles flushes. It's adorable, it really is, but the pain fills his heart at the implication of Stiles having something more important than coming to the shop he comes to everyday. "Nah, forget it. Anyway, you're alone, today. Of course you would be, why wouldn't you? I don't know, you usually are alone, anyway, except for yesterday. Wait, don't tell me I just said something along the line of something like I watch you every day. Shit, I'm making a shame out of myself. Please don't mind me. The ADHD kicks in because I haven't taken my Adderall today."

Derek widens his eyes, "You watch me every day?"

Stiles mirrors him, big eyes comically become bigger. "I—no, I mean—yes, why not? I would skip breakfast here like everybody else if I have someone to cuddle up with. They're so not fair, all leaving me behind. That's not the point, right, not saying I want to cuddle up with you, I mean, what am I even saying?" Stiles groaned.

Oh… oh.

He grins, because. Sometimes Laura's action could benefit him, after all. He makes a mental note to give her box of cupcakes for a week straight.

"Why don't we?" he asked.

Stiles stops the mumbling of 'so stupid' and 'why did I say it?' and 'he's gonna leave now', looks at him with confused look. "What?"

"Cuddle up, why don't we?"

"What?"

He rolled his eyes, the smile never leave his face. "You're not the only one watching." He managed.

Stiles flails, mouth opened, closed, opened again, eyes wide. "You are so kidding right now, right? I mean, I've been watching you for a year and I've not once noticed you look my way, and suddenly there's a beautiful woman with you, turns out to be your sister, and again, that's not the point, but what? Dude, you've got to be kidding because I have to be blind, deaf, and an idiot not to see it when I'm always looking at you."

"Then the two of us are both blind, deaf, and idiots, because I thought I'm invisible to you until yesterday." He said and Stiles laughed. And it makes his heart swell, to know he's the one making the lovely sound emits from Stiles' perfect lips.

Has he mentioned that he is so screwed and he is so fucked? There, he said it again.

It still doesn't change the fact that he is a happy screwed and fucked person, that it's Stiles who makes him feel this way, and if their fingers are intertwined for the rest of the conversation, well, nobody has to know.

Derek is going crazy, but right now in this moment, it's a good kind of crazy. And he doesn't mind being crazy, not in the littlest bit.


End file.
